Stress & Adaptation

Question 1

Examples of physiologic stressors

Answer 1

Chemical agents
Physical agents
Infectious agents
Nutritional imbalances
Hypoxia
Genetic/immune disorders

Question 2

Examples of psychosocial stressors

Answer 2

Accidents
Stressful/traumatic experiences
Horrors of history
Fear of aggression/mutilation
Historical events via media
Rapid global changes

Question 3

Local adaptation syndrome

Answer 3

Localized response (specific body part (i.e. tissue, organ) of the body to stress

Stress = traumatic or pathologic

Question 4

Two types of local adaptation syndrome

Answer 4

Reflex pain response and inflammatory response

Question 5

Steps of General response to stress

Answer 5

Alarm reaction
Stage of resistance
Stage of exhaustion

Question 6

Alarm reaction

Answer 6

Person perceives stressor, defense mechanism activate
Fight-or-flight response
Hormone levels rise, body preps to react
Shock & counter-shock phases

Question 7

Stage of resistance

Answer 7

Body attempts to adapt to stressor
VS, hormone levels, and NRG production return to normal
Body regains homeostasis or adaptive mechanisms fail

Question 8

Stage of exhaustion

Answer 8

Results when adaptive mechanisms are exhausted

Body either rests and mobilizes its defenses to return to normal or dies

Question 9

Emotional responses to stress

Answer 9

Mind-body interaction
Coping mechanisms
Anxiety (most common)
mild, moderate, severe, panic

Question 10

Coping mechanisms

Answer 10

Behaviors used to decrease stress and anxiety

Crying, laughing, sleeping, cursing
Physical activity, exercise
Smoking, drinking
Lack of eye contact, withdrawal
Limiting relationships to those with similar values & interests

Question 11

Defense mechanisms

Answer 11

Protect a person’s self-esteem and useful in mild to moderate anxiety

Compensation
Denial
Displacement
Introjection
Projection
Rationalization 
Regression
Repression
Sublimation
Undoing

Question 12

Effects of long-term stress

Answer 12

Physical status
Increases risk for disease/injury
Compromises recovery & return to normal fxn
Associated with specific diseases

Question 13

Stress management techniques

Answer 13

Relaxation
Meditation
Anticipatory guidance
Guided imagery
Biofeedback
Crisis intervention

Question 14

Mild anxiety

Answer 14

Present in day-to-day living; increases alertness and perceptual fields and motivates learning & growth
Manifested by restlessness and increased questioning

Question 15

Moderate anxiety

Answer 15

Focus is on immediate concerns, inattention to other communications and details
Manifested by a quavering voice, tremors, increased muscle tension, “butterflies” with slight increases in respirations & pulse

Question 16

Severe anxiety

Answer 16

Creates a very narrow focus on specific details, causing all behavior to be geared toward getting relief
Impaired learning ability and easily distracted
Extreme fear of a danger that isn’t real, interferes with everyday life & avoiding situations that cause anxiety

Question 17

Panic

Answer 17

Causes the person to lose control and experience dread and terror
Increased physical activity, distorted perception of events, and loss of rational thought
Manifested by difficulty communicating verbally, agitation, trembling, poor motor control, sensory changes, sweating tachycardia
Unable to learn, concentrates on present situation, feelings of impending doom

Question 18

Anticipatory guidance

Answer 18

Focuses on psychologically preparing a person for an unfamiliar or painful